Rayne the Listener
by listenerrayne
Summary: Half credit goes to Heiwako. Rayne Dragonheart, leader of the Thieves Guild, finds the Dark Brotherhood she was looking for and helps with a plot to kill the Emperor. Follows the Dark Brotherhood storyline, with my own touch. Future CiceroXFemale Listener/Dragonborn. Rated M for adult themes and language.
1. A Delayed Burial

I was walking down the road to Whiterun from Dawnstar. I had been in Windhelm on a Thieves Guild job and was heading to Whiterun to do another one. On the way to Whiterun, Anga from Anga's Mill wanted me to deliver a message to Dawnstar's jarl. I had all the time in the world on my hands, so I agreed.

Lately, I had been ignoring my destiny as Dragonborn. Even though I was a Nord, I was raised by Imperials and grew up in Cyrodiil. I was half Imperial myself. I never knew my parents. My mom died giving birth and my dad left her before that. When I came of age and left the orphanage I decided that I wanted to go to my homeland of Skyrim, for I looked more like a Nord and acted more like an Imperial. (I thought that the local Nords would treat me better if they thought I was one of them.) Until I had enough money, I worked as an apprentice blacksmith and learned about Skyrim from the Nord smith who taught me.

I traveled to Skyrim at the age of twenty-two. I knew all too well about Skyrim's civil war. I was an Imperial naturally, but I didn't want to become a soldier. I was at Darkwater Crossing when the Imperials ambushed the Stormcloaks, and I was captured and accused of being a rebel because of my apparent race. I escaped with Hadvar and helped Jarl Balgruff, but that was when my Dragonborn business ended.

I joined the Companions and gained their gift of lycanthropy, but was turned away some time afterwards. They did not like my muse for killing. I liked killing people much too often for their taste, so I was thrown out.

I was the thane of Whiterun and had a house in the city, but I decided to go to Riften and seek out the Thieves Guild. I did so and became their Guild Master. This meant that I had my soul to Nocturnal and became a Nightingale. I wondered if the Daedric god could tell I was lying when I took the oath. I now spent my days doing small jobs for the Guild.

Secretly, I wanted to be part of the Dark Brotherhood, though, but I didn't even know if they existed anymore. I knew the stories of their fall in Cyrodiil and the destruction of their Sanctuaries. Eventually, I planned on going up to High Horothgar and seeing the Greybeards, but not today.

Something caught my eye as I neared the Loreius farm. I saw a broken down wagon on the side of the road. That was normal, but the man beside the wagon was what caught my attention. A jester was sulking around the wagon and appeared to be talking to himself. Jesters were normal in Cyrodiil, but not in Skyrim. I looked like a Nord, but I was an Imperial at heart. I still couldn't understand how the Nords of Skyrim would have a housecarl and a court-mage, but did not want any old-fashioned humor from a jester. The sight that reminded me of home gave me a sense of joy.

"Oh bother and befuddle! Stuck here! Stuck! And my poor Mother…" I could hear the bright red-headed jester mumble as I walked up.

"Problem?" I managed to say.

"Oh poor Cicero is stuck! Can't you see! And wagon wheel, damndest wagon wheel!" he gestured to the broken wagon wheel on the ground.

"Why didn't you just ask Loreius up at the farm to help you?" I asked.

"I did! Loreius was no help at all."

"So he refused. Maybe I can convince him." I said. This turned the man's face from sadness to pure joy.

"Oh kindly stranger! Stranger is so kind to help poor Cicero after just meeting him! You will surely get some klinky, shiny gold for your kind deed!"

"By the way, my name is Rayne." I said. My birth name was Audrey. I went by Rayne now. That was my Thieves Guild name. I didn't want Cicero to know me as Audrey the Dragonborn or Thane of Whiterun. Rayne was who I really was. Dark and mysterious with a temper.

"Rayne like the water that falls from the sky and makes the plants grow," Cicero said as he leaned into a bow, his hat falling forward but not falling off his head. He, by far, was perhaps the nicest person I had met, besides Brynjolf or Karliah. Skyrim didn't seem to have very many nice people sometimes.

I walked up to the farm and found Loreius. "Um, excuse me. The man, Cicero, needs your help with his wagon." I said.

"That Cicero fellow, he's already asked me about five times! Why can't he just leave us alone?!"

"He's asked you five times and you have still turned him down? Be a man and show some hospitality. He's a stranger in need. What would you be if you turned him down again? I think you wouldn't be a man at all,"

Loreius was easy to persuade. With the help of my Amulet of Articulation, of course, I had an added boost. Doing some time with the Bard's College and being a sharp-tounged thief really helped in times like this. Loreius gave in and I walked back down to the road where Cicero was. "Did Loreius agree to fix the wheel?" he asked frantically with a hopeful look on his face.

"He did. He should be down any minute. He said he had to gather his tools. Nocturnal knows how long that would take for that old man. I can't believe how little hospitality that man had. To the Void with him," Cicero twitched at my language, "May I ask what's in the box?" I asked as soon as I saw him flinch. I didn't want Cicero or anyone to know that I secretly wanted to find and join the Dark Brotherhood. "It's mighty big,"

"My mother's crypt in Bravil was… desecrated, so I am taking her to a new home, a new crypt." Cicero answered as if my dark language had never happened.

"Oh, I see. So you used to live in Cyrodiil?" I noted the man's Imperial features. I had the build of a Nord: buff and tall, and the features of an Imperial, which I shared with Cicero.

"I did,"

"So did I. I lived at an orphanage. My dad was an Imperial and my mom was a Nord. They both died before I could really remember anything. When I came of age I became an apprentice blacksmith, and worked up enough money and came to my homeland. Although, it's a little less than I expected. I could do without all the clouds and snow. I guess I'm more Imperial than I am Nord," I chuckled.

What intrigued me was that Cicero was coming from the north and Cyrodiil was south of Skyrim… strange… I saw Loreius coming from the hill with his tools. "Well, I better get going. If you're ever in Whiterun, just ask for Breezehome. I live there. It's right by the gates and next to the blacksmith's."

"I'll be certain to. The gold for your deed, as promised!" I was handed a fat coin purse. I estimated about two hundred septims. This man was really too nice, but maybe he wasn't all that sane either. I had seen madness in people before and I could tell if a person was sane by their eyes. Cicero's amber eyes were particularly hard to read, though.

I arrived at Whiterun just before a storm hit. I guessed that it was around eight at night. I thought of Cicero in the rain, and hoped that he would consider getting a room in Whiterun instead of just trudging in the rain… I decided that Cicero could handle himself and tried to forget about him.

My job for the Thieves Guild was to steal a flawless amethyst from Warmaiden's, the blacksmith in Whiterun. Naturally, I would take their gold and other valuables as well.

The rain and darkness of night concealed me very well as I picked the lock into the building and slipped inside. No one was inside. I guessed that Adrianne and her husband were at the Drunken Huntsman. I sometimes saw them walking back to the shop before going to bed late at night. I slipped into the bedroom of the building and found their strongbox.

I picked the lock with only two broken lockpicks and took the two fat coin purses, amethyst, garnet, and three iron ingots. I closed the box and exited the blacksmith's shop with no witnesses.

I knew I was Guildmaster for a reason. If only I could let out all of my potential in the Dark Brotherhood. I had done some petty murders in hope that they would notice and recruit me, but still, nothing.

I walked into Breezehome to a surprised Lydia, some warm food, and a free bed to fall into and sleep until morning when I would set off for Riften.


	2. Innocence Lost, Again

I had returned to Riften and obtained my pay from Vex and another job that took place in Windhelm – my least favorite city in Skyrim, besides Markarth, which I easily got lost in.

I was walking to the house in Windhelm that I was supposed to rob when I passed a Dumner woman and a Nord boy talking by an abandoned house. Apparently, the boy inside was trying to contact the Dark Brotherhood. _This is my chance!_

I slipped into the house's door through a simple lock, and I immediately heard the chanting of the young Aventus Arentino, the boy in which the woman and boy were talking about. He was stabbing the effigy he had made with a rusty iron dagger. The body in which he was stabbing seemed to be made out of real body parts, and I wondered where he got them from. I snapped back to my assassin self and remembered that it didn't matter. As long as I got a contract from this boy was all that mattered.

"Sweet Mother, sweet Mother, send your child unto me, for the sins of the unworthy must be baptized in blood and fear…" he chanted with a weak, slightly hoarse voice.

I cleared my throat casually to make myself known, and the boy jumped. He turned to me with a scared look in his eyes, but smiled when he saw the hood over my head and the wicked smile on my face. "You came! I knew if I waited long enough, you would come! And you came! You will accept my contract?"

"Of course I will. That's what I'm here for. Tell me about it," I crooned.

"My mother, she- she died, and I was sent to that horrible orphanage in Riften, Honorhall. The mistress, Grelod the Kind, she's not kind. She's horrible, to all of us!"

"And you want me to take care of her. Consider it done. Now that we have that covered, you are way too thin. Are you sure you have all the money you can possibly get? Maybe we can find some more if we look hard enough,"

Aventus and I looked around the drawers, and while he wasn't looking, I slipped a coin purse with about two hundred gold septims in it into a drawer in the front room. It should easily keep a boy like that alive for a couple months. "How about you check over there?"

I heard Aventus squeal when he found the money. I turned to him and said, "All right! I told you that if you looked hard enough, you could find something! Never tell anyone how much you have, though." I told Aventus to only take a small amount in his pockets at a time. Pickpockets were all too common in all of Skyrim's cities.

"Thank you, thank you again!" Aventus said as I walked out of the house and back onto the cold streets of Windhelm. I completely forgot that I was on a Thieves Guild mission, and headed straight to Riften.

* * *

The city was dark and damp. With the Thieves abound, the guards usually looked for people breaking into houses, not orphanages. No one ever goes into the place anyway. Grelod was enough to keep people away.

I looked around and made sure that the guards were looking the other way, and walked inside to pose as someone who wanted to adopt. I planned to get Grelod alone when she questioned me about myself and kill her then.

"None of you will get adopted, ever! All of you will stay here until you come of age and get thrown out into the cold, hard world. That, my darlings, is why you're here." She continued to say the most horrible things to the kids, and when she left, they turned to me and informed me that she beats them and even won't let them get adopted. _Now I see why Aventus wants this woman dead._

I followed Grelod into her room and closed the door behind me. Grelod didn't notice, and she sat down at her desk and took out a copy of The Pig Children. I grabbed her head, covered her mouth, and lifted up her head to make her neck easier to reach. "Too bad you treat these kids so poorly, now you cannot make me feel bad for you before I kill you," I said. I silenced Grelod's muffled scream by sliding my ebony dagger across her throat. Blood gushed from the cut and Grelod went limp. I smiled at my handiwork, and found that I was chuckling madly.

I walked out of the room and told the woman who asked why I was there, "I talked to Grelod about adoption, but she refused. I'll come back some other time,"

The woman walked into Grelod's room, and I heard her scream, "Grelod's dead! Aventus did it!" I heard her happy laughing along with the kids', and walked out of the building and towards the secret entrance to the Ragged Flagon. I planned to return to Aventus the next day. Maybe I would complete the Thieves Guild job as well.

* * *

"The deed is done," I said to a healthier-looking Aventus.

"Thank you! Here," he handed me a silver plate. I figured I could get about twenty septims for it, so I planned to keep it… as a trophy.

The real reward would come in the next week.

* * *

A week passed. One morning, I woke up in a dimly lit room, smaller than the Cistern, so I knew something was off. I sat up and saw a woman sitting on a bookcase with her leg dangling over the edge. She had a cowl over her head and skin tight leather armor on. It was red and black. Had I finally found the Brotherhood?

"Sleep well?" she asked in a slow, sultry voice.

"Yes, and, where am I?" I asked.

"Does it matter? You're warm, dry, and alive. That can't be said for old Grelod, though, hmm?"

"You know about that?"

"Half of Skyrim knows. Old hag gets butchered in her own orphanage? Word travels fast. What matters is that you stole a Dark Brotherhood contract, one that you must repay. If you will turn around, you will see my friends that I have 'collected.' One of them has a contract on their head. If you guess which one, and kill them, we'll talk."

I turned to see three people tied up with execution hoods over their heads. I thought. I knew there was a catch to this. She wouldn't get these people and go to all the trouble to bring them here if she would have to let two of them go, would she? All of them must have to end up dead, right? I walked forward, unsheathed my dagger, and slit the Nord's throat. I went to the next, a woman, and did the same with her. I went to the Khajiit and slit his throat as well. Quiet and efficient, just the way I liked it.

I walked back to the woman. "Ah, an over-achiever, three targets, three victims, I told you to kill, and you killed. You can follow orders, I like that."

"I think. You wouldn't go to all the trouble to bring them here if you were just going to let them go? You probably would have killed them anyway,"

"Good thinking. You think like an assassin. You would make a fine addition to my family: the Dark Brotherhood. Do you accept?"

"I do."

"Great, if you will come with me, I will escort you to our sanctuary. It will be your home now. By the way, my name is Astrid."

* * *

"I've seen this door before," I said as we went off the road near Falkreath, "I was looking for water and I found this pond. I turned and saw that door. It scared the hell out of me."

Astrid chuckled, "Well this is the entrance to your new home now; place your hand on that handprint at the top." I did.

"_What is the music of life_?" asked the black door.

"Silence, my brother." I answered, for Astrid had given me the passphrase earlier. The door swung open to allow us inside.

"_Welcome home, sisters_." It said as we passed.

"Here, a welcome home gift." Astrid handed me a set of red and black armor identical to hers.

"Wow, it's enchanted, isn't it?" I asked when I saw the glow the armor made.

"Yes, it is. The hood enhances your archery, the armor gives you poison resistance, the boots make your sneaking better and the gloves make your dagger use better. You'll find your assassination attempts much easier; I see that you do indeed use archery and a dagger," Astrid said gesturing to my ebony bow, assorted arrows, and dagger.

"I'm mostly an archer, but when the time comes, I use my dagger. I enchanted them, too, but they're only petty absorb health enchantments,"

"If you'll proceed into the sanctuary, you'll meet your new family. The Dumner woman, Gabriella, and the older Imperial, Festus Krex, can teach you some more about enchanting, if you wish. Talk to Nazir, the Redguard, for your first set of contracts. Arnbjorn, the white-haired Nord, can improve your weapons and your armor if you want him too, but make sure you tell him that I told you that you can ask, or else he might be hateful to you. Babette, the Breton girl, can make you some potions or poisons. If you're hungry, talk to Nazir. I hope you adjust well, and if you have any questions, ask me."

"Thanks, I will," I said and walked into the main room, where there was a big group of people crowded around a small, Breton girl.

"Babette, tell us about the one that tried to buy you some candy again, I love that one!" said the older man, Festus Krex.

"Okay, okay, here it goes," Babette started speaking in a mock-man voice, and a very believable ten-year-old-girl voice, "'Oh you're such a pretty girl, would the sweetie like a sweetie?' Oh yes, kind sir. My mama and papa left me all alone, and I'm so hungry. I know a short-cut to the candy shop, through this alley! 'Oh yes, right, oh you're so pretty, such a lovely smile… wait… your teeth, noo!'"

Laughter filled the room, the evil, mad kind. Strangely, I liked it, and joined in. I turned when I heard chanting, and saw a word wall that teaches me the Thu'um. I planned to learn it tonight, when everyone was asleep and wouldn't see me. The laughter stopped and everyone went back to what they were doing until they saw me, and flocked around me welcoming me.

"Welcome, sister!" said the Dumner named Gabriella.

"You look like you're smart enough to not get killed on your first set of contracts," mumbled Festus.

After all the greeting died down, they all started to introduce themselves.

"I'm Nazir; I can train you in light armor, and give contracts. I'm a Redguard, as you can see, although you have probably already noticed…" said Nazir with a tone of arrogance.

"I'm Gabriella. Festus, Babette, and I can teach you about the arcane arts, if you wish," said Gabriella.

"I'm Festus, master of the destruction arts. Consider me the grumpy uncle of the family: you go your way, I'll go mine," said the older Imperial with a heavy tone of not caring.

"I am Veezara, the last remaining Shadowscale. I was part of the Dark Brotherhood since the day I hatched, you see, born under the sign of the shadow," said an Argonian with a high sense of pride.

"I am Babette, and since you saw me talking earlier, I can't pull the 'I'm just a little girl, the Dark Brotherhood kidnapped me, please help!' trick on you, so I'll just say it. I am no more a little girl than you are; in fact, I am older, much older. Vampirism tends to keep one remarkably… fresh… If you need training in alchemy or any kind of potion, see me."

"How old are you…?" I asked.

"Three-hundred and one,"

"Wow, if I had lived for that long, I'd run out of things to do, but I guess new things come and old things go, right?"

"I like how you think, sister, and yes, they do."

Finally, the one that they seemed to like's introduction the most came up, "I'm Arnbjorn. The color blue gives me a headache, I like killing things, I love Astrid, I hate annoying people, and I'm a werewolf. I'd think you'd already know, 'cause you're one too. You must be a Companion, can't imagine you got your gift anywhere else,"

"_Was_, you mean. I was kicked out because they didn't like my methods,"

"Me too," he said, slightly amused, "you're alright,"

"Thanks, you too," they walked off to their usual spots, and Nazir walked over to a fire and started warming his hands.

"Astrid said you'd have some contracts for me?" I asked as I walked towards him.

"I do, these are simple contracts… don't pay much, either, but they're what keep us running. Your targets are Beitild, a mine owner, Ennodius Papius, an ex-miller, and Narfi, a beggar. Here are the details," he handed me three sheets of parchment, "Do these contracts however you want, there is no time limit: the targets aren't going anywhere. You can get your rewards as you complete them or get them all at once; I don't care, as long as you get them done."

"All right," I flipped through the pages, skimming the details. I learned that I had to go to Dawnstar, Anga's Mill near Windhelm, and Ivarstead. I'll go to Dawnstar, then Windhelm, then Ivarstead, then back here to get my money. I thought, "Thanks,"

"No problem," I walked up the stairs into a hallway and turned left. This was apparently the sleeping area, below was the kitchen, and up the stairs was the enchanting and alchemy stations. I went back to the hallway, turned right this time, and found a half caved in, run-down room, Babette's room, and what seemed like a chapel of some sorts. I walked around in the chapel that contained the stained glass picture of Sithis, and found a podium. I stood at the podium and looked at the broken benches, wondering what this place looked like when it was new. I bet it looked wonderful… in all its hideous glory…

* * *

Everyone but Babette, who was out hunting, was asleep. I hadn't gone to bed yet. I heard the word wall's chanting grow stronger as I neared it. No one was around to see me learn the word… or so I thought. Just as I finished learning the word and my vision cleared, Astrid popped up behind me.

"So, Skyrim's Guildmaster of the Thieves Guild is also the rumored Dragonborn. Looks like I found a good recruit."

"Oh! No one was supposed to see that, dang it." I cursed and crossed my arms.

"No worries, sister. I understand that you might want to keep your identity a secret. Your secret is safe with me, but I do have one question: How are you going to be the Guildmaster, Dragonborn, and a Dark Brotherhood assassin at the same time?"

"Easy, I'm ignoring my destiny as Dragonborn for as long as I can, and as Guildmaster, I only have to check in from time to time, and don't our organizations have to keep ties? I can be another tie, a good one, in fact."

"Oh, I'm sure you can. Just don't let some of your other things get in the way of this life. Don't you have two identities?"

"How do you know all of this?"

"I know Delvin Mallory, and Nazir and I are good at digging up dirt on people,"

"Oh, and yes, my Dragonborn and Thane of Whiterun name is Audrey, but my Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood name is Rayne, a name I more prefer than such a good, pure sounding 'Audrey.'" "I was right: We did well recruiting you…"

* * *

I set out for Dawnstar the next day. With my newly learned word, I had a shout that could leech enemies' life-forces, making them easier to kill. I bought a horse in Falkreath to make my journey easier. I was at Dawnstar late that same night.

I found Beitild overseeing the smelter. I watched her from behind a nearby house until she walked off to her own. I followed her.

The lock was easy to pick. I slipped inside and found her already asleep. Perfect… I thought. I unsheathed my dagger and cut her throat. I liked that she was such a hard-worker and had much gold for me to take after she was dead.

* * *

Anga's Mill was next. I spent the night in Dawnstar and left the next morning. I made it to Anga's Mill around sundown, and found Ennodius by the river at his own little campsite… away from everyone else and out of sight from the nearby mill.

I acted as someone hunting for alchemy components and began to "search" the river for nirnroots and certain fish and snuck up on the man.

He was in the Void before he knew he was dead.

* * *

I made it to Ivarstead in a day, spending the night in Windhelm. I found Narfi in a rundown house on the other side of the river. He seemed terribly skittish. I easily snuck up behind him and slit his throat. _Great, now I can go back to the Sanctuary._ I thought.

* * *

"I'm done with those contracts, Nazir," I said as I walked into the kitchen of the Sanctuary. I walked by what Nazir was cooking and grabbed a half-cooked steak from behind him. He didn't notice.

"All three of them?"

"Yep, can I have this?" I held up the steak on a plate.

"Why would you want a-, wait, you're a werewolf, I forgot. I hope you didn't hurt yourself in those mines, I hear those hours are… murder, and you assassinated a beggar in cold blood. Good job, my friend," I was awarded six hundred septims for my assassinations, "By the way, Astrid has that contract ready for you,"

"Thanks," I said and scarfed down the steak in four bites with my werewolf-sharp teeth. Over my years of being a werewolf, I have learned that when I am very mad or hungry, my teeth become K-9. The same goes for when I'm eating some kind of meat that's not fully cooked. Arnbjorn was a werewolf. I guessed that they wouldn't mind me doing the same thing.

I walked through the main Sanctuary and up into the briefing room where Astrid usually was. She was standing over her table with a map of Skyrim. Just as she opened her mouth to say something, the black door swung open, and in came the jester Cicero.

"Ah, you must be the Keeper of the Night Mother," Astrid crooned.


	3. Mourning Never Comes

The rest was a blur. Cicero was moving the crate with the Night Mother in it by telekinesis, which he seemed remarkably good at. Everyone seemed bewildered by Cicero's franticness.

"But it is the Night Mother's voice we must follow!" Cicero ranted.

"I for one believe that the Night Mother's return is a welcome return to tradition," Festus said, "Mister Cicero, I for one am delighted that the Night Mother has arrived,"

"Oh, what a kind wizard, sure to win our Lady's favor!"

"Of course, you are welcome here, Cicero. Just know that I am the leader here, and my word is law," Astrid said.

"Oh yes, mistress, you're the boss," I was the only one who heard him mumble "For now…"

"Come with me," Astrid commanded.

"You have a contract for me?" I asked. I still couldn't fathom that Cicero was the Keeper of the Night Mother and an assassin. I would have to talk to him later. I had learned about the Night Mother and the Old Ways from Festus, Gabriella, and Babette, who taught me all they knew about the old Dark Brotherhood. My weapons got the enchantments they needed, too, and I got to know how to do it.

"I do. You are to go to Markarth and talk to Muiri, the assistant in the apothecary, the Hag's Cure. That's where you'll find her during the day, and at night, you'll find her at the Silver-Blood Inn. Since it's your first contract, I'll let you keep all of what Muiri pays. She'll be generous, they always are,"

"Thanks," I said and walked into the main sanctuary, where Cicero was inspecting the newly revealed coffin of the Night Mother. "Cicero?"

"Hmm? Oh, it's you, from the road, yes, Cicero never forgets a face! Cicero would have never guessed that sweet Rayne was one of Cicero's sisters!" he said.

"I just became a sister a few days ago. I just got back from a set of contracts,"

"I'm guessing they went well?"

"Oh yes, I slit all of their throats before they knew they were dead."

"A natural killer, Mother will like you," Cicero said as he started to move the coffin with his telekinesis spell once again. I realized we were going to the chapel-like room I found when I first came here.

"So when you meant your Mother whose crypt was destroyed, you meant the Night Mother?"

"Our Mother now and yes."

"What exactly does a Keeper do?" I asked as the coffin was sat down in front of the depiction of Sithis.

"Well, I… keep! I tend to the Night Mother's body; keep her clean and what not."

"Oh, sounds important. She is really important, after all."

"You realize that our Lady is important, surely you'll win her favor. You respect her as I do."

"Of course I do. I got Festus and Babette to teach me about the Old Ways. They worked. I don't get why Astrid would abandon them. I think she just wants power," I said quietly.

Cicero nodded, "Cicero understands. Cicero thinks Astrid is just a pretender. She only has power until a Listener is chosen, then whoever that is, not her I hope, will take her place."

"I hope she picks soon,"

"So does Cicero,"

"I haven't been here long, but I know the Old Ways would be a good change for us,"

Cicero was silent, looking at me with a smile, "… Cicero likes you. You understand…"

* * *

Everyone except for Astrid, Festus, and I were cruel to Cicero during meal time. Babette wasn't eating. She could, but she didn't have to. Cicero took Babette being a vampire very well. I told him about everyone, saying the Arnbjorn was a werewolf, Babette was a vampire, and Gabriella was obsessed with death, things like that. They didn't enjoy his antics. They jeered at him for his singing, mocked him for his dancing. Astrid shut them up, but I could hear the enjoyment in her voice.

I left early and went to the Night Mother's chambers. I didn't know why, but I was drawn to her coffin. I sat cross-legged in front of her shrine, waist-length black hair cascading down my back. I don't know how long I sat there until I felt a presence behind me. I turned to see Cicero. Without a word, he sat down beside me in the same fashion I was sitting. Amazingly, he didn't seem fazed at all from their insults.

"Cicero does not like the silence," he said after a while.

"I think it's calming, actually." There wasn't complete silence. There was Arnbjorn hammering at his forge, people talking, and footsteps… I had a feeling Cicero meant complete silence, which I didn't like as well.

"This silence isn't so bad, it's just the complete silence… it's… maddening…" he mumbled.

"I don't like the complete silence,"

"Hopefully Mother will break her silence,"

"_Soon…" _I thought I heard someone say. It wasn't me. It couldn't have been Cicero; his voice was too high and erratic. It was a raspy, but soothing voice… like how a mother speaks to a crying child.

"Did you hear something?" I asked.

"No… Did you?" Cicero asked with hope in his gleaming eyes.

"I guess not…"

Cicero's smile faded.

* * *

I left for Markarth the next morning. I arrived in two days, stopping in Rorikstead to sleep. I arrived at the city of stone with my Guildmaster's armor on. When I had my Guild armor on, guards looked the other way because of the Guild's influence. It was about six at night, and stores usually stayed open until eight, so I figured that Muiri was still in the Hag's Cure.

I found her in the shop, working at an alchemy lab. She was surprised by my presence, but not for long.

"Who needs to die?" I asked.

"My goodness, the Dark Brotherh-, oh my! Alain Dufont needs to die. I didn't know while we were together, but he leads a bandit clan. They're holed up in some old Dwarven ruin – Raldbthar. It's where they plan their raids. It's east of Windhelm. I don't care what happens to his friends; kill them for all I care. And if you can, take care of Nilsine Shatter-Shield, too. You'll get some extra gold…"

"Alright, see you soon,"

I spent the night in the Silver-Blood inn for half price. Being in the Guild had its benefits. I set out for Windhelm the next day.

* * *

Nilsine was dead. I slit her throat in her sleep since I arrived in Windhelm in the middle of the night. Immediately, I went to Raldbthar. _No one followed me, good. _It was midnight, and I knew exactly what was coming.

I charged through the ruin in beast form, slashing bandits down left and right until I changed back into a human. All that was left was Alain and his two head bandits that were in the main room. I snuck down the hall and fired an arrow towards Alain. It took him out, but alerted the two bandits. My cover was blown.

They charged towards me, weapons drawn. One had a steel war hammer and one had a steel war axe. I put my bow on my back and unsheathed my dagger. I focused on the one wielding the war hammer. Dodging his attacks, I stabbed him in the stomach while he was in mid swing. He fell, but I wasn't sure if he was dead. I felt a sharp pain in my right shoulder. The woman wielding the war axe hacked me in the shoulder from behind.

I sprang into action with only one arm to use. I used dance-like maneuvers to get behind her and stab her in the back. She fell to the ground, but she wasn't dead. I stooped down and slit her throat, and went to the man with the war hammer. He was still alive as well, and ready for me. He hit me in the eye with the handle of his war hammer. The impact made my head swim. I knew I would get a black eye. I slit his throat as well. I limped out of the ruin, half bleeding to death.

* * *

I limped back into the sanctuary, eight-hundred septims richer, but that was the least of my worries. I had many bruises, a black eye, and a gash in my shoulder that was poorly taken care of and most likely infected.

"I did the… thing…" I mumbled to Astrid.

"Good, looks like whatever Muiri had for you was tough. See Babette after you do this for me: I need you to eavesdrop on Cicero. I fear treachery. He's taken to locking himself in the Night Mother's chamber, and talking in hushed, frantic tones. To whom I don't know. That's what I want you to find out. You'll need a hiding place. Sticking to the shadows won't help; you'll need to hide in the Night Mother's coffin."

"But that's so disrespectful. Aren't you being a little paranoid? You know Cicero is Void-touched. I don't know if I'm in a state to do that anyway…"

"Remember, you have to do what I say. It'll only take a minute."

"Fine," I walked into the main sanctuary and into the Night Mother's chambers. The lock on the coffin was novice, which was less than I expected from the Unholy Matron of the Dark Brotherhood. I stepped in and closed the doors behind me. I tried my best to not lean on the Night Mother. I heard the jester walk in, and I held my breath.

"Are we alone? Yes… yes… alone. Sweet solitude. No one will hear us, disturb us. Everything is going according to plan. The others… I've spoken to them. And they're coming around, I know it. The wizard, Festus Krex… perhaps even the Argonian, and the un-child… What about you? Have you… have you spoken to anyone? No… no of course not. I do the talking, the stalking, the seeing and the saying! And what do you do? Nothing! Not… not that I'm angry! No, never. Cicero understands. Heh. Cicero always understands. And obeys! You will talk when you're ready, won't you? Won't you? ...Sweet Night Mother."

Apparently he was talking to the Night Mother. The strange thing was that she answered to me.

"_Poor Cicero, dear Cicero. Such a humble servant, but he will never hear my voice, for he is not the Listener." _The voice was like the Night Mother herself was caressing me. It felt like she was holding me like my mother probably would have.

Cicero continued, "Oh, but how can I defend you? How can I exert your will, if you will not speak, to anyone?"

The Night Mother continued, _"Oh, but I will speak. I will speak to you, for you are the one. Yes, you. You who shares my iron tomb, who warms my ancient bones, I give you this task: journey to Volunruud. Speak with Amaund Motierre." _

Cicero rambled on, "Poor Cicero has failed you, sweet Night Mother. Poor Cicero is sorry sweet Night Mother. I've tried, so very hard, but I just can't find the Listener!"

_"Tell Cicero the time has come. Tell him the words he has been waiting for all these years: 'Darkness rises when silence dies.'" _I was in a daze listening to the voice, taking in every word as if they were the last ones I would ever hear. I broke out of my daze when the coffin opened and I fell backwards.

Cicero caught me, but dropped me. "What? What treachery! Defiler! Debaser and defiler! You have violated the sanctity of the Night Mother's tomb! Explain yourself!" Cicero's shrill howl made my head hurt. Not to mention that he dropped me right on my shoulder, causing my head to swim with pain. I stayed on the floor, until I worked up the nerve to get up to face Cicero so he wasn't half upside-down. "Speak, worm!"

"The Night Mother, she spoke to me! She told me I was the one, the Listener!" I fought back.

"She… spoke to you? More treachery!" Cicero pushed me against the wall with such force it knocked the wind out of me. "More trickery and deceit, you lie! The Night Mother speaks only to the Listener! And there is… no… Listener!"

Cicero's hands moved up to my throat, and squeezed. This man really was mad. "Darkness rises when silence dies!" I managed to say.

Cicero was shocked. He let go of my throat immediately. "She… she said that? She said those words… to you? 'Darkness rises when silence dies'? But those are the words, the Binding Words, written in the Keeping Tomes. The signal so that I would know, Mother's only way of talking to sweet Cicero…" He started to dance, and laugh. "Then… it is true! She is back! Our lady is back! She has chosen a Listener," he pointed at me, "she has chosen you! All hail the Listener!"

Cicero kept laughing and dancing as Astrid burst through the door, screaming about treachery. "By Sithis, this ends now! Back away, fool! Whatever you've been planning is over!" She turned to me, "Are you alright? I heard the commotion. Who was Cicero talking to? Where's the accomplice? Reveal yourself, traitor!"

"I spoke only to the Night Mother! I spoke to the Night Mother, but she didn't speak to me. Oh no. She spoke only to her!" Cicero pointed at me. "To the Listener!"

"What?" Astrid turned to me. I had been quiet through all of this and intended to stay that way. Given my injuries and the beating from Cicero, I felt as if I was going to pass out. Astrid, who was clearly surprised, turned back to Cicero. I was glad no one actually gave me a chance to talk. "What are you going on about? What is this lunacy?"

"It's true, it's true! The Night Mother has spoken! The silence has been broken! The Listener has been chosen!"

Cicero danced some more. Astrid gave him no mind and turned to me. "What in Sithis' name is going on here? Cicero spoke to the Night Mother, but she spoke to you? Is this just more of the fool's rambling?"

"No, she told me I was the Listener when I was in her coffin," I said tiredly.

"So Cicero was just talking to the Night Mother's body?" And the Night Mother, who, according to everything we know, will only speak to the Listener, just spoke, right now, to you?" I nodded.

I knew I was going to pass out from all of this. "Gotta speak to Amaund Motierre in Volunruud…"

Then everything went black.

* * *

I woke up in my bed. I hurt all over. I looked up to see Cicero sitting by my bed. When he saw that I was awake, he perked up.

"Listener is awake, Un-child!" I heard him say to Babette in the next room. The small Breton walked in with some of her potions and healing things.

"How do you feel?" she asked.

"Tired, hungry, and hurting,"

"Cicero will get food!" Cicero stated and walked out of the room and down to the kitchens.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"Nine o'clock in the morning. You've been out for a couple days. I don't know what you did, but you hurt yourself pretty bad. I managed to work on your shoulder. It was infected. You have a black eye, too." I reached up to my left eye. I could tell it was swollen. _No wonder everything was blurry._ I thought vaguely. "You have some other cuts and bruises, but your shoulder is the worst. You can tell me about what happened after you rest a little more."

Cicero came back in with a bowl, most likely containing something I could eat, like oatmeal. Gabriella and Festus were behind him. "C'mon, Cicero, they'll have to doctor her, best give them some privacy,"

"What happened with Cicero and Festus while I was out? They seem like friends now…" I asked.

"Cicero and Festus share the same opinion about the Old Ways, and it seems to have bonded them…" Gabriella answered.

"Cicero didn't leave your side once while you were out, too. He kept telling me about how he over-reacted when he found you in the coffin, and how he hurt the Listener. By the way, is that true, about you being the Listener?" Babette asked.

"It is,"

"Astrid told all of us the night you passed out. None of us were really sure what happened, but we went by Astrid and Cicero's stories, Listener." Gabriella said as she helped me sit up. Babette raised my shirt up in the back and treated my wound with some kind of ointment that burned.

"Ah, that burns," I protested.

"That means it's working," Gabriella chuckled.

"Drink this," Babette commanded as she pulled my shirt back down. It was then I noticed that someone must have changed me out of my shrouded armor and into some regular clothes. I hoped it was Gabriella.

"What is it?" I asked.

"A potion to help you get better, eat." She handed me the bowl of oatmeal. I drank the vile liquid and started to eat when Astrid walked in.

"How are you feeling?" she asked and took Babette's seat. Gabriella and Babette walked out.

"Better, now that I have food," I said.

"Sorry about making you do that. You were hurt; I should have just let you go to Babette when you got here,"

"Its fine, Astrid. I'm sure it was fate or something that make me get into that coffin so I could become the Listener."

"I still don't know what to make of all that," she admitted.

"Take your time. I am interested in what Mother wanted me to do, though."

"I thought about it and sent Arnbjorn and Veezara to check it out,"

"You think they'll find something?"

"Sithis knows…"

"I hope they do."

"So do I."

* * *

I spent the next week recovering from my injuries. The only exciting thing that happened was when Arnbjorn and Veezara came back from their journey to Volunruud with a letter and a very expensive amulet.

_Three days ago -_

_We all gathered around Astrid as she read the letter. At first, she had a normal expression, but as she read on, it went to one of glee._

_"Amaund wants us to kill the emperor!" she exclaimed. A roar of cheers and laughter exploded throughout the room. Astrid and Arnbjorn were kissing, Gabriella and Babette were hugging, Veezara and Nazir were high-fiving, Festus was clapping, and Cicero and I were cheering. "The first thing we have to do is kill Victoria Vici, the emperor's cousin. Her wedding is taking place at the Temple of the Divines in Solitude in two weeks. Give me some time to figure this all out. Rayne," she turned to me. I could feel everyone watching me, "you're the Guildmaster, right?"_

_"Yep,"_

_"I want you to bring this amulet to Delvin Mallory as soon as you can travel again. Get him to appraise it. He'll offer a letter of credit, that's fine. Delvin Mallory and the Dark Brotherhood have… history. Bring someone to travel with you since you're still recovering. Everyone's dismissed."_

That was three days ago. Babette said I was well enough to go to Riften with someone at my side now. I picked Cicero. I figured that no one would mine him being gone and we would be back before he had to oil the Night Mother again.

Over the time I was getting better, I got Cicero to tell me all about being Listener. He said that the Night Mother was part of me now, and I got to hear voices in my head, and that the rest of them should be so lucky. He told me about oiling the Night Mother and tending to her shrine. I knew that he liked talking and I liked listening. _Makes sense, _I thought, _I am the Listener. _

Cicero loved to idea of going to Riften with me. He had never been before.

"Cicero never understood thieves, really. Take someone's things before you kill them? And they call me crazy… Why is Listener in with them?" he asked. We were on our horses, riding side-by-side.

"Because I couldn't find the Dark Brotherhood," I explained, "I was part of the Companions. That's where I got my lycanthropy from. But they kicked me out because I was more of an assassin than a warrior. So I went to the next best thing: being a thief. I'm pretty good at it too, but the only problem with the Thieves Guild is that when you're on a job, you can't kill anyone. I found a little boy in Windhelm that was looking for the Dark Brotherhood. He thought I was an assassin, and sent me to kill the orphanage owner, Grelod the Kind. I wasn't caught and got away. Honorhall is in Riften. I hope those kids have it better now…"

"Why would the boy want the owner dead if she was kind?"

"Oh no, that's just her name. She wasn't kind. She beat the kids, over worked them, and wouldn't let them get adopted! I was glad to send her soul to Sithis."

"Let Cicero guess: the Pretender Astrid came for you after she learned of that and recruited you?"

"Correct, that was three weeks ago,"

"Cicero hopes that the Listener is the one who gets to kill the emperor, it's your right, after all."

"I hope so, too."

* * *

We arrived at Riften late that night.

"Come on," I led Cicero to the cemetery that housed the secret entrance to the Ragged Flagon. Cicero thought that the entrance being in a coffin was good. No one gave me a second glance as I walked through the Cistern with a jester behind me. They knew I had connections with all kinds of people.

"Need somethin', boss? Anything for the Guild," Delvin asked.

"I'm on Dark Brotherhood business, and this amulet appraised," I held up the jeweled amulet. Delvin's eyes widened.

"Where oh where did you get that?"

"Does it matter?"

"That is an Elder Council amulet. And you better know, if you killed a member of the Elder Council, you better believe-"

"Will you buy it?" I interrupted.

"Buy it? Hell yes!" he grabbed a piece of parchment and jotted down something. "Here, letter of credit, useable by Astrid only. Make sure you tell your lovely mistress I said hello. Tell her she should come by some time. We could have a drink, catch up…"

"Thanks. Oh yeah, I finished that numbers job."

"Nice job, boss. Here's you pay," he handed me a coin purse.

"Did you finally find a guy, boss? We thought you and Brynjolf had a thing for each other!" Vex said from across the room. I knew she meant Cicero.

"No, I-" I started.

"She did!" Cicero interjected.

I could tell this surprised everyone.

"Rayne goes with a jester?" Brynjolf asked. He had walked in when this started.

"Well, they say opposites attract!" Delvin said. Laughter filled the room. I couldn't help but to laugh, too.

"C'mon. I'm tired." I led Cicero into the Cistern and showed him an empty bed next to mine. I planned to scream at Cicero the next morning for what he said.


End file.
